Lincoln Light Show: Improved Head-Up Display to Debut
CARS.COM — Lincoln has a new head-up display for its Continental flagship using technology that it claims will make the HUD image brighter, bigger and more visible than any in its luxury class. Displays that project information, such as speed, on the windshield have been around for some time, but not a few have been as vexing as they are visible, particularly in daylight. But the HUDs, a feature of fighter planes, hold the promise of keeping your eyes pointed where they should be — on the road.
Related: Navdy Head-Up Display Review
Lincoln says its new display is the first to use Digital Light Processing technology — the same used in movie theaters — to display a much brighter image on glass with an infrared reflective coating. (Side benefit: The company says the windshield coating also reflects heat, keeping the car at least some measure cooler in the sun.)
“We’ll be using a DLP chip from Texas Instruments, while many other automakers use a different technology that doesn’t get quite as bright,” said Anthony King, Lincoln product design engineer, in a statement. “That’s what sets us apart.”
For added visibility, users can tailor the brightness and position of the HUD data to suit their size needs and other preferences. Users can choose from a menu how many or how few widgets, such as adaptive cruise control or outside temperature, to display using a controller on the steering wheel. Only phone and navigation, when in use, are automatically shown.
By design, except for speed and the turn-signal indicator, data you choose for the HUD is not repeated on the dashboard display. Lincoln says that its research found that non-redundant information makes the system “more compelling” to use.
Lincoln’s single most compelling claim for me, however, is that I simply may be able to see it: The company says the display is clearly visible through polarized sunglasses. As someone who needs his polarized prescription shades to see the road, my experience with HUD images has been dim to invisible.
Lincoln drives home that point in the video below, touting the feature with a model driving in daylight wearing sunglasses.
